


is that the way that you wanna be loved?

by christinaapplegay



Category: Dead To Me (TV)
Genre: F/F, there is zero plot its just them being oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:42:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24550093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/christinaapplegay/pseuds/christinaapplegay
Summary: They go grocery shopping. Judy gets hit on. Jen seems to not like that.
Relationships: Judy Hale/Jen Harding
Comments: 14
Kudos: 142





	is that the way that you wanna be loved?

**Author's Note:**

> title from ‘ways to be loved’ by tops. cheers

They’re at the checkout, with a cartful of a week’s worth of groceries, Judy nervously looking over everything that passes by on the conveyor belt, hoping they didn’t forget anything, relieved when she sees the exact brand of chips Henry asked for and the right kind of Fruity Pebbles Charlie requested, Jen at the end of the register, loading the groceries into bags because the store is short-staffed. 

Judy’s getting ready to pay, her debit card in one hand, an extra reusable bag in the other, when the cashier, a man who she has barely even looked at, much less spoken to besides in normal, polite initial conversation, is telling her how beautiful she is, how he doesn’t usually do this, but wants to give her his number, and it’s before Judy can even say a single word that Jen’s voice cracks through. 

“Excuse me, what? What the fuck is wrong with you?” 

And Judy instinctively looks over at Jen, and then to the left of her, a queue of people now averting their eyes, and Jen keeps going without the cashier even uttering another word, “We’re gro-cer-y shop-ping,” she says, slowly, distinctly like she’s sounding it out, “Who comes on to someone when they’re fucking grocery shopping?” 

Jen just stares at the cashier, like she’s waiting for an actual answer, and Judy’s slightly mortified by nature, but not enough to be angry. She's kinda amused, actually.

“Sorry,” he says like he can’t believe it went wrong and Judy doesn’t look at him, only forces a small laugh to brush it over, and then glances at Jen, who genuinely looks pissed off, “go ahead insert your card.” 

“Fuckin’ weirdo,” Jen says, under her breath, continuing to put their bags in the cart, and Judy tries not to laugh as she finishes paying, and when they exit, Jen wraps her arm through Judy’s, like they’re making a point or something that Judy doesn’t quite understand, and they walk out just like that. 

They’re loading the bags into the trunk of their car and she's not going to make it a big deal, she’s not going to start praising, profusely thanking, or scolding Jen, because she’s sure Jen would hate all three, but she wants to say something, so she says, “You really know how to pack a punch,” as she turns from the cart to the trunk. 

“Well, it just comes out sometimes,” Jen says, handing the last bag to Judy, who says, “It was a little harsh, but I kinda liked it,” and she sticks it among the other groceries, and then they’re facing one another, and Jen shrugs it off, shrugs it off like she does any compliment or thank you Judy gives her.

“I mean, it was kinda weird, Judy, I think I even mentioned getting home to the kids, like take the fuckin’ hint,” Jen says, and Judy immediately clams up at that, unsure what exactly Jen means. 

“Maybe he didn’t hear that part,” Judy says, feeling like she maybe has missed out on something just as much, and she tilts her head like a confused puppy, and Jen looks at her, eyebrows furrowed like she’s thinking “so what?” but then she’s wide-eyed and saying, “You wanted his number?” 

“Well,” Judy says, trying to buy herself time to understand why Jen cares this much, why Jen’s instant reaction is to yell at someone who shows interest in her, and now she's questioning why Jen's reaction is this intense, fully realizes just how vitriolic, and she has a small thought that feels very obviously the reason, and then Jen’s saying, “You wanted his number.” 

“No,” Judy says, quickly, like she's trying to reassure her, for some reason, “not at all.”

“Okay,” Jen says like she’s trying to convince herself she is, and Judy feels this brand of speechlessness she’s not sure she’s experienced, so she moves to close the hatchback and she can feel Jen staring at her, staring at her like she’s trying to apologize telepathically. 

"It was just kind of a lot, Jen," Judy tries, curious as to what Jen might say, if it will give anything else away.

"Okay, you know what, it just came out of my mouth, alright? I couldn't like, shove it back in there," Jen replies, all at once, and Judy just nods at her, uninterested in a fight, very interested in this situation.

“Do you wanna take the long way home?” Jen asks as they part ways around the car, and when they get in Judy nods, smiles at Jen because she can't help it, and the five extra minutes on the long way home are spent zoning out, spent realizing something Judy thinks she knows, something she’s guessing Jen doesn’t.


End file.
